The Haunted Hills
by D-Money626
Summary: The Doctor, Rose, and Matt work together to bring down and trap the General while Rose deals with her own personal ghosts. This is the 9th episode of a different Series 4 & part 2 of a 2 parter "So, spirits, mysteries… aliens? This is your life?"
1. Previously on Doctor Who

Previously on Doctor Who…

The Doctor exclaims, "California, 1849, right at the height of the Gold Rush."

The Doctor and Rose walk down a mountain side in almost pitch blackness. They both could observe a sparkle coming from the rocks around them.

The Doctor introduces himself to a miner. "I'm the Doctor and that's Rose."

Rose comments to someone else while referring to the Doctor. ""We're brother and sister."

Two miners lay dead on the floor as a miner tells the Doctor and Rose, "They're just lying there in their tents dead."

The Doctor rubbs his hands together excitedly. "Brilliant, right on schedule!"

A chilling voice sounds with malice. "Give me my gold or die!"

The Doctor comments while scanning a body, "No wounds. No scratches. Their heart just kind of suddenly stopped."

A miner introduces the Doctor and Rose to a younger man. "This here is my son, Matt."

Rose and Matt kiss passionately while sitting down alone.

"I'm thinking something might be protecting their gold, something who thinks they own it and might stop at nothing to get it back."

Rose throws open a tent only to see an almost transparent whitish figure in front of them in the outline of a man holding bags of gold.

Matt comments, "The ghost had stolen the gold. What would a ghost want with gold?"

The Doctor adds, "It's the gold that keeps attracting it."

The Doctor brings out his sonic and runs it over a piece of gold. "This should do the trick."

A ghostly figure begins to take shape having the face and body of a miner, but transparent and holding a scowl on its face. It tells them chillingly, "I am the General. I am the protector of the Golden Hills."

Matt yells, "Dad! No! Give him the gold!"

The ghostly miner draws closer while Matt's father tries to back away while grabbing for his gun. He reaches it and begins to fire at the General, but the bullets go right through it while the ghost places its hand on the man's chest.

Matt screams, "No!" but his father falls like a log dying.

The Doctor puts his hands up still holding the small piece of gold.

The ghost laughs. "You will die, all of you." The figure draws closer to the Doctor and reaches its hand out as if to strike him on the chest as Rose and Matt look on…

Read part one, "The Gold Rush" if this trailer isn't enough.


	2. Domestics

With the ghostly general's hand about to touch the Doctor and kill him, Rose shouted, "Matt, throw the other bag!"

Matt quickly grabbed one of the bags full of gold and threw it out of the tent at the same time as Rose.

Immediately, the ghosts attention moved from the Doctor straight toward the thrown bags. The General followed the bags, picked them up, and disappeared with them without a sound.

Rose walked outside to check if it was safe while the Doctor breathed easily having just escaped death. Under normal circumstances he would regenerate upon a death, but he knew full well that this General killed by stopping hearts, and it wouldn't be too much trouble for it to stop both of his. It's always a shock being that close to any death, but it's the permanent ones that really scare the Doctor. He really was that close.

Matt's father wasn't so lucky though as he lay still on the floor while Matt leaned down to hold his hand silently weeping. Over his shoulder he could hear Rose's voice who had just came back in. "I'm sorry, Matt, but he's dead now."

Matt turned his head to her hoping for understanding. "Yeah, he went out fighting... That's what he would have wanted."

Rose was suddenly overcome with emotions for Matt and hugged him despite the Doctor standing right near them. She knew exactly how the young man felt thinking back to the day she watched her father die on that street corner. Her father had saved the day and went out strong, and she couldn't explain it, but she could see a younger part of herself in Matt now. Rose suddenly didn't care if what she had done or was currently doing was risky. The Doctor already seemed to know that she was guilty about something and her kiss earlier with Matt definitely gave the poor guy the wrong impression, but she couldn't help it. Rose knew how it felt to lose a father and she had to comfort him.

Matt squeezed her back tightly during the hug to which she allowed for a second before breaking free and planting a kiss on his cheek. As soon as she turned from Matt's smiling face she saw the Doctor's and realized that her decision could suddenly ruin everything.

The Doctor's face held a mixture of shock and betrayal in what he had just seen. He angrily dropped the small piece of gold that was in his hand to the ground as he annoyingly asked, "Are you done now?"

Rose knew that reacting emotionally to the Doctor at the moment would be a major mistake, but she could not help it as she yelled, "What is your problem?"

"I hope you're not being serious right now, Rose."

"He just lost his father, Doctor! He even died right in front of him. Besides, I don't see why you should even care who I kiss. And it was on the cheek for god's sake!"

The Doctor was fuming, but it was his calm composure that was the most frightening to Rose. "You're not telling me something."

Matt addressed the Doctor. "Don't you think you're being a little too overprotective of your sister, Doctor. I'm a good man." Rose could not believe how much worse it was starting to get.

The Doctor got right up into Matt's face in an intimidating pose as he almost spit distastefully, "She lied to you, Matt. I'm not her brother." The Doctor stepped away and looked Rose in the eye. "And you… You just…"

"Why don't you keep running, Doctor? Run, from your feelings because it doesn't matter where you go and who you're with because their always going to be there. Even in the farthest reaches of the universe they'll be there and they'll never leave you."

"Only, you won't, anymore."

"Funny, because I don't believe you and I never will." As mad as the Doctor was, he knew Rose was right even if he'd never admit it. "First trip, where do you take me? The end of the bloody world. First trip with just us again, a planet without humans. I'm special to you, Doctor, because I know you'd never share those things with someone you didn't care about and you're just going to have to realize that someday."

Rose's words hit the Doctor hard and as much as he wanted to respond, he didn't.

With things deathly quiet Matt had questions for Rose on his mind but knew that he'd only make matters worse. He really did have a million of them ranging from what she had just said about planets and her knowledge of aliens all the way to what in the hell that kiss not even an hour ago meant. Still, he knew it was time to move on from this so he offered, "Maybe we should…"

Both the Doctor and Rose interrupted him. "Shut up!"

"Oh, alright then!"

Emotions were high, but all three of them knew what was important at the very moment. The General was on the loose and could very well kill another miner very soon. With all of their emotions bubbling over each took a breath in their own way and tried to keep their feelings to themselves for the moment.

The Doctor lightened up and put on a happy face while bending down to reach for the golden nugget again and put it into his pocket for later. "So the General thinks he owns these hills, does he?"

Matt offered, "We can't fight it, unfortunately, but maybe there's someway we can outsmart it." The Doctor smiled at that. Under the circumstances he supposed he should hate Matt given that he still had no idea what they must be hiding from him, but he was rather impressed by the man.

Rose suggested, "The General is after the gold, what if we, say, devise a trap!"

The Doctor grinned at that. "That could work, but how will we set it up?" Again, he felt he should stay angry at his companion, but he had always loved brilliance no matter where it came from and especially so in this body.

Matt became excited as he offered, "Well, since we don't know, let's do what most folk do and go explore! I've got a couple of torches here. Doctor, you can have one. Rose we can share. We need to do this for my dad." Rose grinned, thinking about how she once had said something similar.

The Doctor and Matt grabbed a torch in the tent, lit them in the still blazing camp fire, and the three of them walked out of the camp and into the mountains in the middle of the night…


	3. Strange Tastes

The Doctor, Rose, and Matt walked up a hill getting closer to the more rocky mountainsides keeping their eyes out for any signs of the General spirit. Matt seemed to fall right into step with them both much easier than he thought possible. There was so much he didn't understand about these two based on the conversation they just had and he was really struggling with his feelings for Rose. She had lied to him, so now he had no idea where he stood. It wasn't the thoughts in his head that made him seem like them; it was the absence of expressing them that did. All three were focused as much as they were quiet. Someone could have argued that there might have been something wrong with that.

The quiet was suddenly broken when they clearly heard what sounded like a kicked rock. The sound brought the trio a new energy as they ran to the source, but they found nothing but a rock that chipped from off the side of the mountain.

All three were then hit with the obvious disappointment, but the Doctor channeled his into an interesting fixation with the side of the mountain.

"Rose, hand me your torch." Rose handed him her torch as the Doctor than proceeded to shine it on the mountain while he felt it. His eyes caught what he was looking for quickly as a small goldish gleem shined back at him off the reflecting light. Then as Rose and Matt watched, the Doctor proceeded to bring his face up to the metal and lick it. "That doesn't taste right."

Matt was incredibly disgusted. "Did he just…"

Rose always thought it was weird, but she also thought the Doctor's oral investigation qualities were equally as revolting as they were sexy. Most people would think she was properly mad for considering the action as slightly sexy, but she really couldn't help it. With an almost reverence she replied, "He has extra sensitive taste buds."

"That I do! But, this gold shouldn't be here."

Rose asked, "What you mean?"

"The consistency is weaker because it curiously broke off when I licked it." Matt was now completely disgusted and showed Rose his face behind the Doctor's back to which she giggled softly. "More like a chemical form, but not enough so that this lot would know the difference. This gold is not present anywhere else in the world and shouldn't even be here."

Matt was pretty confused about that statement. "How can you say it shouldn't be here when it obviously is?"

The Doctor frowned in realization. "It was planted here by someone."

Rose asked, "Didn't the General claim he owned it?"

"He did, yeah, but I don't think this is his doing. I think he's trying to prevent something from happening."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I need more clues."

All three began to look for anything out of the blue that would catch their eyes as Matt commented, "You two act like you've been at this before. Many times before."

Rose answered, "We have."

"So, spirits, mysteries… aliens? This is your life?"

The Doctor grinned. "Everyday."

"Are you saying you've met some?"

"Try, I am one."

He looked at Rose fearing that he had just kissed an alien. "Are… are you a…"

Rose laughed. "No."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief after that and then muttered under his breath, "Definetly not brothers and sisters then."

The Doctor had caught Matt's reaction to whether Rose was human or not and it was not just general curiosity. Whatever those two had done that neither was willing to tell him must have been intimate. The Doctor's head started playing tricks with himself pondering the worst possible scenario and he definitely wanted it to stop immediately. Still, he said nothing because that was just his way.

Matt was a little more scared than he would have liked as he looked at Rose. After getting revenge on this spirit that took his father he wanted nothing more than to just cuddle up with her and hoped she wanted the same. He may have been disgusted that she might have been an alien, but a small part of him almost didn't care. His father was really gone… "Just can't believe he's gone."

The Doctor asked curiously, "Who?"

Rose shook her head disdainfully. "Really, Doctor?"

"Oh." The Doctor was a little bit of ashamed of himself right there.

Rose smiled at Matt. "We're… I'm glad you came along with us."

"Me too."

Suddenly the Doctor called out loudly in complete interest. "I think I just found our clue!"


	4. Two Different Worlds

"What in the world is that thing?" Matt stared at the mysterious metallic object that seemed rusted in which the Doctor had just proclaimed happily as a clue.

"That, Matty, is a Golwenderum 5000, oh, but that's just brilliant!"

Matt showed a face showing displeasure to something but remained quiet as Rose asked, "A what?"

"C'mon, Rose, think. We just spotted chemically altered gold, so it had to be helped by some power source!"

"Yea, but how could that machine do that?"

"Remember the Ice Pirates?"

"An energy converter! It's an energy converter! But, why? Why convert the gold?"

Matt answered, "The General is killing for that gold, so I reckon it's got something to do with that. Why not turn it against him?"

The Doctor grinned because it was getting harder and harder not to like this guy. "Matty, you are a genius! Whoever engineered this had a plan, but was never able to finish it! We just need to… fire it up and find out."

Again Matt expressed his displeasure. "Sure, just don't call me Matty anymore." The Doctor nodded in understanding.

Rose pointed to the energy converter. "Well, go ahead and turn it on then."

"Needs gold. Just five kilograms." The Doctor suddenly looked over at Matt when he didn't understand. "Around eleven pounds."

Matt rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Right, I'll just grab my pick axe and I'll get us some of that gold."

"No time for that, you both will have to use this." The Doctor pulled out this sonic screwdriver and tossed it to Rose who caught it. "Setting 523." Rose nodded and put it in her pocket while the Doctor added, "It'll break away the rock so you can easily pull the gold out much quicker. You both just fill your pockets."

Rose asked, "You staying here?" She didn't want to admit it but having the Doctor and Matt together did something for her that being alone with either wouldn't. They both had issues with her and she didn't want to address those issues at the moment. Even though it was completely dark outside and rather spooky, it was her own demons that spooked her the most. Perhaps she was a bit of a runner herself like the Doctor.

The Doctor half smiled. He was hesitant to let those two be alone, because they had done something of an intimate nature. Neither had to tell him that for him to know, but why hadn't Rose told him? Then again why did he care? Rose could be with any man she wanted because he couldn't possibly interfere. It's not like he loved her or anything. Or did he? Anyway, this was not the time for figuring that problem out. The Doctor figured he may never fully understand that one. With an almost reluctance he answered, "I gotta stay here and play with some wires in order to get this machine fired up and ready for you… two."

Rose nodded reluctantly. "Alright. Best we be off then."

Rose and Matt turned around and walked away as the Doctor stared at their backs for a moment before focusing his attention on some old frayed wires on the Golwenderum 5000.

Rose and Matt continued down the hill walking. They couldn't have been walking much closer while at the same time the distance between them from what was unsaid felt like a million miles away. After waiting a moment for Rose to be brave Matt realized he'd have to be the one to address it. "Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you lie to me?" Matt figured he's just be about as direct as possible about it. She wasn't going to meet him halfway anytime soon.

"I… I was just confused. Made a decision I now regret. It's not you, it's just…"

"Him?" Matt just didn't understand. "Rose, the little bit of time I've known you both all he's done is belittle you. He's made you feel small. Is that how you want to be treated? I don't think it is."

Rose began to doubt herself as they walked. "I've made a lot of mistakes lately, Matt. I've burned a hundred bridges because of hope, but all I really did was isolate myself." She stopped and began to fight tears as Matt continued listening. Rose found herself again finding it easy to be honest with him. "There's just nowhere for me to go anymore, ya know?"

"Leave him and stay with me. I'll treat you right."

Rose looked into Matt's eyes. These were completely trusting eyes that hid nothing. There was a future in those eyes and a way out of the life she'd made for herself. He was human and he was normal, but he wasn't the person she really needed. As much as she didn't want to admit it presently that really was the Doctor. She could fight it all she wanted, but she couldn't let it bother her that dreams were all she could look forward to. In Matt's eyes she saw happiness and a fulfilling life like she had always wanted, but those things were never meant for Rose Tyler. She said nothing as she just looked.

Matt seemed to understand when she didn't answer. "One more kiss. If you feel nothing than that's it, promise."

Rose nodded with no emotion. She really shouldn't, but she had to entertain her wants and desires just one more time or regret passing up the opportunity forever.

Matt leaned as she also did and soon they were kissing, but this time she wasn't into it half as much as Matt was. As quickly as it began, Rose pulled away from his startled expression with her mind now completely clear. She opened her mouth ready to tell him she had made her decision, but her eyes met quite possibly the worst thing that she had ever seen in her life.

The outline of the Doctor was standing above the hill and staring at them…


	5. Broken Hearts

Matt had no idea what had caused Rose's sudden reaction following their second kiss because once again it felt like he had found the right person for him. Rose would sometimes be mysterious and unexplainable, but he actually liked that quality about her. She was by far the strangest, but most wonderful women he had ever met. Hopefully he had read her wrong. Matt smiled at her hopingly. "So, good?"

Rose could have addressed him. She could have even mentioned the Doctor, who on second glance was walking about back to that machine. Instead she did neither and muttered as if nothing had happened, "Matt, we need to get to work."

"Oh." It was like she had kicked him in his crotch.

Rose pulled out the sonic screwdriver, set it to 523, and began to use it on the mountainside near her as the rubble began to fall away crumbling to the ground below. Matt saw her tension and very loud silence, but he had one more question for her because it had been eating at him since he met her. Who really was this mysteriously beautiful woman and where did she come from?

"Where's your family?"

Rose suddenly turned the device off and blinked holding back tears. Her family. She was prepared to talk about leading Matt on and kissing him, or even on her conflicts with the Doctor, but her family was the deepest buried regret in her life. She up and left them and was even more upset at herself in having not even thought of them for the past few months because it had hurt so much. The hills and mounds of regret were all beginning to avalanche at once. Oh, she had always told herself that everything would always work out and that she was strong enough for it, but she was not the Doctor. Their was no forever and there were no more dreams, especially not for her. Not anymore. Rose expressed her sadness and confusion in just one very emotional word. "Gone."

Matt laid his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. This woman that he had thought so highly of was beginning to crumble before him. "I'm sorry."

Rose brightened up as she turned to face him. She needed that. "Still, nasty ghoulish General on the loose. Need to collect this gold and fuel that machine up!" Rose began scanning the rocks again willing herself to move on as the rubble again started falling off.

Matt sighed. "Yeah." It was clear where this was going. The first piece of gold was now almost completely uncovered as he reached under Rose's body to pull it out. "A couple of these and we'll be ready!" Matt stuck the heavy piece in one of his pockets as much as he could fit.

As Rose and Matt put the awkwardness behind them and begun to work, the Time Lord above the hill walked back to the Golwenderum 5000 dejected. The Doctor had come bearing the good news that he was ready for them, but had just seen exactly what he had been fearing to be true. Rose had fallen for Matt and she would leave him soon. The process was inevitable and even Rose who had promised him a forever would follow suit. The Doctor had known it all along. His former self would have been furious that he was taking it this nicely, but now being older and less confrontational had brought him here. Matt was an alright guy and he supposed he should invite the bloke to come with them after trapping this General. After all, it was the prudent thing to do.

The Doctor made it back to the old machine originating from the distant future with a very low mood. Even though the machine was fixed and ready, he played with it a little bit in thought. The analogy to the TARDIS would amuse most people. Rose and Matt would arrive soon and he would be ready to explain brilliantly exactly why the Golwenderum 5000 was here. He'd worked it all out and no matter what happened he could always impress.

The Doctor turned a wheel while pushing a lever much like he would on the TARDIS making a compartment open up containing a pit. He grinned as the machine opened up. He stood excited and ready!

Matt now had a couple pieces of gold housed in his pockets. The pieces were heavy and some were rather pointy leading to a very uncomfortable condition. As Rose removed the last piece they would need Matt shifted. "Ow!"

Rose laughed out loud. "Tell ya what, I'll take this last one." She proudly put it in her pocket. "See, not so bad!"

"We should get…" Matt stopped himself as both him and Rose were alerted to what sounded like a crack near them.

Rose asked, "You hear that?"

"Sound like a twig snap?" Rose nodded dreadfully. "Thought so."

Another twig snapped seemingly in the shadows that blocked them from the Doctor. There was definitely a body near them and it definitely wasn't the Doctor.

Rose held out her hand and motioned for Matt to follow her. "Just stay low so whatever it is won't notice us." They walked slowly and as quietly as they could toward the hill where the Doctor was waiting for them at the machine.

After a couple minutes of tense quiet Rose and Matt began to slightly relax. Matt quietly laughed to Rose. "False alarm?"

This time the twig snapping sounded behind a tree close by to their right. Rose warned him, "Look, we can't go investigate. Just keep moving steadily."

Again silence fell around them. The tension was driving them both crazy as every little sound made them look around protectively.

The wind picked up and blew as a couple leaves rustled behind them. Matt turned his head looking to find nothing there. He couldn't take it anymore. "I think I'm going crazy here!"

Rose put her finger to his mouth teasingly. "Shhhh…"

As she removed it pebble seemed to drop to their left as both of their attentions turned that way. Again nothing.

Rose turned back around and saw something terrifying as her eyes grew in sock until Matt joined her in the same deathly gaze. In unison they looked at each other and screamed, "Run!" as they gazed at the ghostly miner dressed figure of the General.

They promptly ran up the hill toward the Doctor for their lives not daring to look behind them as the General screamed with vengeance, "Give me my gold!"


	6. Sacrifice

Rose and Matt ran for their lives with the ghostly General chasing them up the hill. Rose yelled encouragingly to him, "Almost there! If we can get to the Doctor before he gets to us we'll be fine!"

The General was beginning to close on them and Matt's extra weight from the gold in his pockets wasn't helping. "Rose, I… I… can't… I… can't… keep… up."

Rose reached the top of the hill first and the Doctor knew immediately that something bad was afoot just from her facial expression. He pointed to the hole in the machine knowing time must be short. "Here! Here!"

Rose looked back noticing the distance she'd put on Matt with the General getting closer behind. She quickly turned around to stop and reached into her pocket throwing the gold in the futuristic round machine.

Matt saw the short distance he had to go but could feel the breath of the ghost behind him as he vocalized, "I'm… not… going… to… make… it."

The ghost pushed him down to the ground going in for the kill as Matt grabbed for the gold in his pockets and threw them in the air towards the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor and Rose both caught the pieces and threw them in the machine, but Rose suddenly stopped and started running straight toward Matt with reckless abandon.

The Doctor couldn't believe his eyes. It was suicide! "Rose! No!"

Rose didn't listen and jumped falling to the group as she pushed Matt away from the General. Matt took the opportunity to throw his last piece of gold to the Doctor who caught it and threw it in the Golwenderum 5000.

The machine suddenly lit up the dark skies around them with a green light as the General noticed and yelled. "I'm not going alone!"

Rose and Matt laid panting right next to the ghost which turned its head over to them primed for one more kill. Again, Rose was primed to protect as she got ready to hold him back, but was shocked when suddenly Matt used his energy to push her out of the way. As the General moved closer, Rose fell over to the left face first into the ground not saying a word despite the pain.

Rose could only look on in dread as the General reached out to his closest target touching Matt's heart and making him fall to the ground screaming before falling unconscious. Just as quickly a purple light blasted from the machine straight at the General as he screamed in a loud protest, "Nooooo!"

The General radiated glowing so bright that the Doctor had to shield his eyes before it vanished along with both the purple and green lights as everything fell silent and dark. Rose got up and ran over to the motionless Matt.

The Doctor stood by the machine not wanting to interfere as Rose cried feeling for his pulse and finding nothing. The only thing she muttered was, "I'm sorry, Matt. All my fault."

Rose turned her head over towards the Doctor. His expression standing over by the machine conveyed almost no emotion as she informed her companion, "He's dead."

"Yeah."

"I couldn't save him."

The Doctor knew very well how she felt. It was the worst feeling in the world anyone could ever experience and there was literally nothing his gob could say that would make it better. "Yeah."

She turned back to Matt and this time said, "I'm sorry" with more volume before planting a kiss on his now cold lips.

"Do you… Do you want to talk about it?"

Rose stood up and met his gaze. "I want to go home."

The Doctor was so resigned. That was something he could never do for her again. She was stuck here with him. "Rose… I can't, the void…"

"No, Doctor, I want to go home." She walked over and hugged him crying into his shoulder which he returned rubbing her back under the dark skies of that mountain.

The Doctor wanted to ask Rose why she risked her life for Matt and about what he had meant to her. He wanted to ask her why she had almost given her life for the man and why she had looked so torn apart because of it, but he didn't. Inside he grieved for Matt too because he was ready to ask him to be a companion, but Rose had lost something more than just a potential companion or even friend. The young chap would have made a great companion and he'd never forget that he had just given his life for Rose. It was a sacrifice he would always be grateful for.

As he held Rose he thought about how there was no one else he wanted to hold like this ever again. She'd leave him someday, but he could enjoy her for what she was. A brilliant companion and his biggest friend in the whole universe. As they broke their hug, the Doctor let the most relaxing aspect of this regeneration take over, his gob.

The Doctor neither sounded excited nor bored. He was just talking, but it sounded like he was saying something completely different. "The Golwenderum 5000 was from the 49th Century from the early years of the Time Agency. One of their agents set this trap, but met their demise before they could trap the General. He's trapped now in a secure prison for spirits on some planet such as Nykon Three or Florida Twenty Six. The gold was altered to open up the time portal, but it's closed now. No more General to worry about."

Rose just listened. She didn't want to talk and despite the actual words not being the least bit interesting at the moment, they never sounded more soothing. She'd always remember Matt, she mused, but nobody would ever hold the same spot in her heart as the Doctor. She could dream all she wanted about a different life, but she knew that she could never have made another choice and been happy. For that she was grateful and always would be. "Thank you."

He had no idea what she was thanking him for, but suggested what he thought would be right. "How about we go home?"

Rose nodded with a half smile before they both walked down the hill and back toward the TARDIS apart, but possibly much closer than they had been in years…


	7. Next Time Trailer

Next Time on Doctor Who…

Amongst old buildings with patios holding potted vegetables such as tomatoes and beautiful gondolas in canals a man sits on a bench staring out into a fountain lost.

Suddenly, he notices a little plastic straw appearing to be moving around above the water and a head beginning to emerge from below the water.

The Doctor, clad in a soaked pinstripe coat, brings himself onto the dry pavement and sees the seated man staring. "Bit of something in my teeth?"

The Doctor takes a seat next to the starer as the observer asks, "Sorry, who are you?"

The Doctor reaches out his hand out with a smile to which the man shakes it. "The Doctor. Nice to meet you!"

"Charles, Charles Mayweather."

Charles comments, "Just lost someone real close to me."

Dark green human sized creatures carry a struggling woman keeping her physically restrained toward a warehouse as Charles watches powerless. She screams, "Charlie! I love you!"

Charles equally impassionately cries, "I'll find you! I promise!"

Charles explains to the Doctor, "They took Rachel right into this building right in front of me."

Charles runs into a building yelling, "Rachel! Rachel! Are you here?"

The Doctor follow Charles into a warehouse. "There's no signs of anyone having been here. Not even a DNA sample. Nothing at all. Completely empty."

Charles leaps towards a dark figure, but flies right through it as it disappears and he hits the hard pavement.

Charles addresses a shadowy green figure with disdain."You! You're… you're the thing that stole Rachel! Where is she?"

The Doctor looks at Charles with regret. "I'm sorry, Charles. I'm so sorry."

The Doctor and Charles stand with their hands up defensively.

A green creature's deep voice proclaims. "Do the humans have any last requests?"

Charles answers, "Please, I don't want to die!"

The Doctor cocks his head to the side as he excitedly yells, "Allons-y, Charlie!"

Series 4 will continue with "Without a Trace" next week!


End file.
